Rampage Tells Everyone To Lighten Up

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson recently came under fire for making gay jokes but the former UFC lightweight champion said on his web site that his comments were all in fun. Rampage began his explanation under the title “Lighten up.”

He also compared being gay to his own life as an African-American growing up in Tennessee.

“Like most straight guys I joke around with the whole gay thing and I see it as comedy, not saying that’s right or wrong but I don’t do it out of hate,” Jackson wrote.

“I am a black man from Memphis Tennessee who grew up in the south where I faced discrimination my whole life. I know very well how it feels for someone to judge you for something you have no control over so having gone through that I know how it feels. I took a vow that I didn’t even have to say that I would never discriminate against anybody for anything other that how they treat me or others around them. So not only DO I NOT HATE gay people, I actually accept them for who and what they are.”

Jackson claimed that he didn’t know the interviewer was present when a crew member and friend of Jackson’s poked fun at him with a poster of Jackson promoting a friend’s gay bar.

“When I did this interview the interviewer witnessed my friend giving me s–t and calling me gay,” Jackson wrote. “I was so embarrassed and didn’t want my ego tainted because I’m a big tough fighter. So yes, I got quite defensive and I’m known to be the best s–t talker in my business and a fighter in all aspects in life. So I made fun of him back, calling him gay.”

Whether you agree or disagree with Rampage, one thing is for certain: Jackson will need to be more careful in the future if he plans on pursuing a career in Hollywood once his time as a “big, tough fighter” comes to an end.